Tag Archives: North Carolina

Beaufort, N. C.

Katie and I were in Beaufort, S.C. (pronounced byoo-furt) in 2010 and now in 2011 Katie, Dear and I visited Beaufort, N.C. (pronounced bow-furt).

Settled in 1709, Beaufort is North Carolina’s third oldest town. Originally a fishing village and port of safety dating from the 1600’s, Beaufort has been visited by patriots, privateers and pirates!

This two acre complex interprets the town’s colonial maritime heritage in nine houses and buildings dating from 1732 to 1859.

We had lunch at Clawson’s. The original Clawson’s grocery store was owned by Charles and Mary Clawson who were immigrants from Sweden and Ireland, respectively. Its first location was on the south (water) side of Front St. where all the retail shops were able to serve customers that arrived by boat from Harkers Island and points east. Clawson’s claim to fame back then was its bakery, located behind our current building where Backstreet Pub is located. It’s believed to be the oldest building in Beaufort built about 1870 completely of brick. The original waterside grocery store was destroyed by a hurricane, so the current Clawson’s was re-established on the north side of Front Street where it is today.

We also visited the fudge shop and bought some freshly made fudge to enjoy later. After we left Beaufort we headed to Fort Macon on the northern tip of the Emerald Isle.

I think all my Christmas shopping is done now. Today I picked up our mystery tree at Home Depot. Thursday I get my grey roots taken care of just in time for Dear’s company Christmas function on Friday at the Fairmont/Four Seasons in downtown Seattle. I’m hoping to have all my decorating done by Sunday. Still haven’t decided about the Christmas cards…

Nature Walks at the Aquarium

There were some nice nature walks and trails outside the Aquarium that we enjoyed.

We learned something new about Spanish Moss. Found it really interesting that it’s related to pineapple.

Got my shipping shopping done and the boxes are sent. This is the first year that I have to send Christmas gifts to some of our kids. I was so busy this morning that when I hit the road I realized I hadn’t made or had my morning coffee. I stopped at a Starbucks which isn’t ever part of my regular routine but the morning brew I got was very nice and sharpened me up a bit.

North Carolina Aquarium ~ Pine Knoll Shores

We really enjoyed the Aquarium on Emerald Isle in North Carolina. Because it’s off season we didn’t have any crowds to deal with which is always a plus. Besides the indoor tanks and displays we enjoyed some outdoor nature trails that are part of the Aquarium. I’ll show those photos later.

Today was a surprisingly productive day for me and I thank the Lord for that. I changed my tablecloth to a Christmas one and that is the only Christmas decor visible in my house so far. I got some laundry, cleaning, Christmas shopping, banking, and mailing done. Pats herself on the back. I’m still debating if Christmas cards are going out this year. Time will tell. Hope your days are going well.

The Atlantic

On our last full day in North Carolina we headed on an adventure to the seashore. We traveled east to Emerald Isle/Crystal Coast of N.C.

We traveled the length of Emerald Isle across to the mainland to Beaufort.

We walked along the sand and collected a couple handfuls of shells.

It was good to walk along the beach again. It’s been a long time since our weekly walks along the Pacific Ocean.

Seems like mushrooms can grow in many environments…

Here are the shells we collected.

I’ll share our stops at the aquarium, Beaufort, and Fort Macon in the next few days.

On Saturday after our day out Dear and I left for the airport home. It was hard to say goodbye to Katie and leave her alone. We know she’ll do well and that soon she’ll be reunited with Andrew. I also know I will have those tearful moments as I adjust to our empty nest. The triggers that lead to tears vary. The first trigger was walking past Katie’s room. Oops! I might just have to redecorate sooner than later. But first I need to start getting our home ready for our Christmas celebrations!

I’m linking up for Mosaic Monday with Mary at Little Red House.

Glad We Said Yes…

…to the freshly made apple fritters!

On the way to our Emerald Isle adventure we decided to stop for breakfast at Yana’s Restaurant on Front Street in Swansboro.

The apple fritters were dusted smothered with powdered sugar. It was great to bite into the sweetness straight to a great slice of fresh apple.

This was very much a 50’s diner and we were surrounded by Marilyn and Elvis.

Loved this sign. You definitely can trust me because I’m far from skinny.

After breakfast we continued on to our sea and sand adventure on the Emerald Isle. I’ll share more later along with our stop at the Aquarium, Beaufort, and Fort Macon.

Swansboro

Last night we headed East to Swansboro to have dinner. I tried Grouper for the first time ever and it was very good. We also had a great scallop nacho appetizer. The scallops were like butter. If you are ever in this part of North Carolina we would recommend Riverside Steak and Seafood.

We got a kick out of the swans that were part of the Christmas light decor in the city of Swansboro. They also had snowflakes and seashells.

Well I know one thing for sure that is on the agenda when I get back home. I’ll be eating less and moving more. Today we are headed to the coast to see what we can see. Today is our last full day here in North Carolina. On Saturday Dear and I drive back to Raleigh-Durham for our flights home to Seattle.

N. C. State Capitol, Raleigh

Dear arrived in North Carolina 5 days after Katie and me. We met up with him in Raleigh last Saturday and spent the night before we headed back to Camp Lejeune. On our way we took the scenic route so we could stop at the state Capitol. It seemed small compared to other Capitols we’ve visited. We noticed that there were churches on most corners across all sides of the Capitol.

This was our suite at the Marriott Residence Inn, Crabtree. We were happy for the comforts here after a very long Saturday filled with adventures we weren’t expecting.

The Dec. 7, 1941, bombing of Pearl Harbor and those who lost their lives that day are being remembered Wednesday on the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack that brought the U.S. into World War II. Dear’s father and several uncles served during World War II.

Today (Wednesday) we are making a round trip to Raleigh to pick up Andrew and Katie’s used car that ended up needing a couple recall issues fixed. Yesterday their couch, loveseat, washer, dryer, and mattresses were delivered. We now have comfortable seating that we’ve been looking forward to for 2 days. Dear installed the garage door opener and it’s working like a charm. Katie and I didn’t realize when we ordered the washer and dryer that we would need extra installation parts like hoses, etc., so Dear will be making one more trip to Home Depot or Lowe’s.

So…are you done with your Christmas shopping? I’m not done. I’ve hardly started and my house is not decorated. Hope that makes someone feel better out there.

It’s Luh-Jern not Lejeune…

For years people have been pronouncing Camp Lejeune like it’s spelled but the family that the Base is named after finally decided to correct everyone and give them the proper pronunciation.

We’re still working on the inside of the house and I’ll post before and after photos later. For now I’ll just show you some of the good food we’ve been eating cuz y’all know for me it’s all about the food! There are several middle of the road restaurants in Jacksonville, lots of fast food joints some having double drive throughs. I’ve never seen double drive throughs. There is one restaurant that has more unique and very well made food and we really enjoyed it.

My lamb was delicious and Katie’s steak was tender and good.

The mussels had a great sauce for dipping. Now that Dear has joined us in North Carolina we’ll be going to this restaurant again. If you ever find yourself in Jacksonville, North Carolina we highly recommend Ducks Grille and Bar.

Cities adjacent to huge military bases draw a multitude of establishments you won’t see in such quantities elsewhere. I couldn’t number the barber shops on my fingers and toes here. There are Tattoo parlors galore. Furniture stores with next day deliveries are in abundance. Tobacco Shops and car accessory shops and video shops. This town probably has one of the highest ratios of 18-22 year old residents because of the military camps here.

Have a great Monday y’all…